Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CRC)

What drew you to working in your chosen field?

I have always liked problem solving and the challenge of making the complex become more simple and accessible. When I was a lawyer trying to understand and explain the root cause of data breaches to regulators and affected customers, I was struck by how often the explanations were overly technical and baffling. I wanted to play a role in making cyber more understandable and accessible to those who need to be in a position to make informed decisions. While there are many benefits that come with living in this connected world, there are also challenges and I love contributing to how we solve some of these challenges. Cyber is so diverse, I have had several very different ones from policy, to influence and now a CEO role. This has been a career path that I never would have imagined for myself 20 years ago. Cyber is the career gift that keeps on giving.

Which of your many career achievements do you feel is your greatest and/or most exciting?

I am very proud of starting and building Telstra's Cyber Influence team (one of the first such teams at that time) and the great campaigns we created to raise awareness of the cyber threat. I am also very proud of being the co-author of the Five Knows of Cyber Security. My current role as the CEO of the Cyber Security Co-operative Research Centre is the most exciting role that I have had. It is great to be able to build something from the very beginning, to develop a pipeline of students who will hopefully form part of Australia's cyber security workforce. It is exciting to work with some of Australia's most talented cyber security researchers, government and industry leaders.

What would you say is the currently the biggest challenge facing the international cyber community?

Despite many years of cyber now being the focus for many countries, the threat is still intangible and not well understood. Cyber is a conduit that enables crime, espionage, interference, misinformation campaigns and influence to happen at a pace, scale and reach that is unprecedented. Consequently, the challenge is to ensure that the international community recognises and understands all these dimensions of cyber and takes steps to mitigate these risks and to also call out bad behaviour when it occurs - just as Australia and other Five Eyes countries have done this year. Strong research programs that show the benefits of stronger defences as well as highlighting the damage from such cyber threats are essential investments for the international cyber community.

How could Australia further engage with our international partners to harness the opportunities of the digital age?

To harness the opportunities we need to get security right- and this will continue to be something where we need to collaborate with our international partners. The pace of change as the world seeks to connect more devices and automate business processes will mean that Australia must ensure that it walks into automation with its eyes wide open. The importance of understanding when and how something like AI should be used is critical. Australia has a powerhouse of research talent so we are well placed to collaborate on research and different ways of approaching these important issues.